There are times when Finn Russell sees Murrayfield as his own personal courtyard. Very often the teacher of everything that survey, the magic of Russell has launched a spell on much of the best work of Scotland in the six nations in recent years.
However, at the beginning of the second half of this unnecessarily nervous victory over Italy, Russell's powers had abandoned him. As a magician who lost his sense of illusion, his game of hands had betrayed him.
Instead of getting a rabbit out of the hat, as he has done so frequently in the past, Russell had thrown a cat between the pigeons with a moment of extreme carelessness.
Running for a dead end when the Italian defensive line closed around it, Russell doubted too long before throwing the ball directly at the hands of Juan Ignacio Brex.
At that time, when Brex ran clearly to score under the positions, Murrayfield was silent. A feeling of horror wrapped the crowd. After offering some attack, Italy, somehow, were level in 19-19.
A worrying sensation of Déjà Vu began to spread through the stadium. The memories of Scotland collapse in Rome last year were suddenly fresh in the mind.
Russell was neglected with his death, with an intercepted launch that led to an attempt from Italy
For attempt, for what I could, the bathroom star could not sizzle in the attack of Scotland against Italy
I couldn't happen again, right? Scotland blew a 12 -point advantage in the Olympic Stadio. They led 14-0 after 10 minutes yesterday, but they were linked back to All-Square at the beginning of the second half.
Russell did not have a particularly good game. Scotland won this game although of your half -foster, no because his.
He and his teammates will have to be better, thousands better, when they face Ireland here next Sunday in the second round.
“It was good to fight in the end for victory, but we will have to be much better if we want to do something in this tournament,” Russell said.
'For me personally, my mistake was frustrating. The errors, the solidity we had, there were probably individual errors that will be easier to solve.
'We will return on Monday or Tuesday and solve some things. There were probably four of the five attempts we left today.
'Huw (Jones) was outstanding. I thought Stafford (McDowall) was also really good at age 12. The back worked very well together, they created many opportunities.
“If we are going to do something in this tournament, we have to try to finish them.”
Even from the tee, Russell fought, successfully kicking three of five conversions
Scotland won a little leftover at the end. They extraordered Italy for five attempts and, particularly in the first half, seemed unbridled.
They played with speed and precision, destroying the Italian defense sometimes. But there were also elements of the action that were deeply convincing.
Italy was largely non -existent in the attack. They offered nothing, unable to take their ends of Jet Ang Capuzzo and Monty Ioane boxes in the game.
However, 19 points of Gregor Towsend men still take, all of which come directly from Scottish errors and indiscipline.
Thanks to Brex's attempt and Tommaso's boot, Italy made a deeply uncomfortable life for the local team. They created Jeopardy when there really shouldn't be any.
It was the same story for Scotland in the inaugural match against Wales in Cardiff last year, when they were dangerously close to blowing an advantage of 27 points.
Then came the capitulation in Rome just a few weeks later. Yesterday once again they flirted with the same.
This team still suffers moments defade Brainfade. Whether or not mental fragility is an infallible capacity to summon dark clouds of light blue skies.
The 32 -year -old man often fought for space, but when he did, he did nothing with the ball in his hand
It is happening too often to be a coincidence. If you shoot in the middle of the game next week, Ireland will change the lights.
In a nutshell, they will not come out with such an irregular and disarticulated performance. Not against an Ireland team that has dominated them so often under Towsend.
“You are going to have moments of impulse for both teams and I think they certainly had it through sanctions and obviously an attempt to interception,” said Rory Darge, Co-Capitán from Scotland with Russell.
'Then, it was about returning to what we were fine in the first half. We responded well to go 19-19. It was a bit proof of how you respond to that. But I felt that we responded very well.
'With a game like that, there are still many things that we can do better. There were things that we did well, but there are things that we can do better.
'Then, I am delighted to obtain the five points, but the fact that there are things that we can do better means that we enter on Monday, look at the images and keep us punished to enter and train hard on Monday and prepare for Ireland.
'Discipline is a fashion word for teams at this time, and obviously we have not yet seen the return game, but the way they obtained their first nine points was only through kick penalties.
'Then, there are small bits in that. Obviously, in the scrum, they also had a little joy. But I think, in general, the standard was really good and we have had a good performance.
'But there will be bits within him that we can see and improve. We know we will have to be better next week.
Without really doing much in the attack, Italy threatened what would have been a third successive victory in the six nations for the first time in its history.
They stayed in the fight and remained relevant and competitive. Suspicions that will continue to cause problems to other teams throughout the championship, especially a battered and besieged Wales in Rome next weekend.
For Scotland, it's now about Ireland. A significant improvement will be required if they are going to abolish the green machine.